MX23RW : Thursday, January 9 02:02:36| >> :120:32147:32147:

Wolves head coach Bruno Lage not happy with early season fixture congestion

Wolves head coach Bruno Lage not happy with early season fixture congestion
© Reuters
Wolves face an 8pm kick-off at Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

Wolves head coach Bruno Lage has questioned the "strange decision" to make his side play twice in the space of just over 48 hours.

Lage's side lost their second Premier League game of the season at home to Tottenham on Sunday afternoon and are back in action for an 8pm kick-off at Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

The club's appeal to have the tie rearranged to Wednesday was rejected by the EFL due to a clash with a Twenty20 cricket match taking place at Trent Bridge, which is a stone's throw from Forest's City Ground.

According to a club statement, further alternatives were also "dismissed" by the EFL and Lage said: "I don't want to go that way but for me it was a strange decision why we play on Sunday because Tottenham play on Thursday and have the three days to prepare.

"Nottingham Forest don't have the stadium available to play so it's not our fault. Tottenham have the three days, Nottingham Forest continue to play at home and we are in the middle. In the end, no-one think about us.

"That's why for me it's a strange decision, but now you can understand why I did a lot of games in pre-season and some of them with that space, one day or two days between.

"We don't have time to argue we just have time to go on and play."

Lage admitted the short turnaround meant he was likely to make changes to his side on Tuesday, but said he would be taking the competition seriously.

"When people ask what is the most important game, the most important game is the next," Lage added. "We will work hard and prepare the same way we prepared for Leicester and Tottenham.

"After these two games and with two days to recover I don't want to put anyone at risk and we will try to play with the best team on Tuesday.

"At the moment we don't have a big squad we need to be competitive in every competition but there is no time to talk about it, there is time to recover and be fit and play like we did against Tottenham against Nottingham Forest."

ID:460594:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect2453:
Written by
P A

Click here for more stories about Bruno Lage

Click here for more stories about Wolverhampton Wanderers

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane pictured on August 22, 2021
Read Next:
Nuno Espirito Santo hails 'amazing' Spurs fans following Harry Kane reception
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
Read more about Bruno Lage Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool19144147192846
2Arsenal20117239182140
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest20124429191040
4Chelsea20106439241536
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle20105534221235
6Manchester CityMan City2010463627934
7Bournemouth209653023733
8Aston Villa209563032-232
9Fulham207943027330
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2061043029128
11Brentford208393835327
12Tottenham HotspurSpurs20731042301224
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd206592328-523
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham206592439-1523
15Crystal Palace204972128-721
16Everton193881525-1017
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2044123145-1416
18Ipswich TownIpswich2037102035-1516
19Leicester CityLeicester2035122344-2114
20Southampton2013161244-326


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!